Overview
Technology is fully integrated into the Kindergarten classroom curriculum. Integrating Technology will primarily consist of curating information for teachers to use when teaching, identifying online activities to support classroom lessons, and brainstorming lesson plan ideas and activities to use with students. Tech activities in Kindergarten promotes learning, curiosity and exploration. Student generated work will reinforce knowledge and demonstrate their understanding and promote creativity.
The goal of introducing technology to children at this age is to teach them some fundamental computer skills, introduce them to some basic terminology, and most importantly make sure they are comfortable and enjoy working on the computer or other device. All lessons using technology take into account that kindergarten students do not read, write, or keyboard proficiently. The same skills are revisited often which enables all students to become proficient over time even if they learn at different rates. Lessons also allow students to learn new skills at their own pace. The lessons are designed so they can succeed even if they don’t pick up on every skill designed into the lesson.
The goal of introducing technology to children at this age is to teach them some fundamental computer skills, introduce them to some basic terminology, and most importantly make sure they are comfortable and enjoy working on the computer or other device. All lessons using technology take into account that kindergarten students do not read, write, or keyboard proficiently. The same skills are revisited often which enables all students to become proficient over time even if they learn at different rates. Lessons also allow students to learn new skills at their own pace. The lessons are designed so they can succeed even if they don’t pick up on every skill designed into the lesson.
Objectives
- Use a computer responsibly
- Recognize and understand the basic components of the computer and how they are used (e.g. CPU, monitor, mouse, keyboard, headphones, speakers, printer, etc.)
- Learn some basic computer skills such as how to launch an application, expand/close windows, how to change the volume, how to watch videos such as making it full screen, start and pause, quit programs properly, etc.
- Learn mouse skills - how to hold a mouse properly, functions of a mouse, etc.
- Learn keyboarding skills - to type letters and numbers on the keyboard using correct hands, shift key for capitalization, space bar, return key, the difference between backspace and delete, period, question mark, etc.
- Understand and access the Internet - Students are introduced to the idea that they are accessing a computer outside of the school when they go to a website and they can access that same site from another computer such as one from home. They will be introduced to the terms web browser and hyperlink. The students will know they have to start a web browser to access the Internet. They will know how to go to full screen, how to use the scroll bar, and how to close out the web browser at the end of class.
- Computer Basics - draw, color, add text, add audio, etc.
- iPad Basics - slide to unlock, start an app, headphone jack, volume, home button, etc.
- Reinforce grade level curriculum and skills - curate information for the teacher to use and curate information and activities for the students to use
- Use the computer as a tool to create student-generated documents - students create to reinforce knowledge and demonstrate understanding and promote creativity.
- Programming - simple logic